I frowned as I stared at the darkened phone screen. The man's words made no sense no matter how many times I replayed them in my head. One moment he claimed he had nothing left to live for, yet the next he refused my money. Stranger still was the way he kept obsessively warning me to stay away from Elliot, as though Elliot's existence alone threatened him.
None of it added up.
Then, after a long silence during the call, greed finally slipped into his voice.
"Fine," he muttered bitterly. "Transfer the money."
My wolf sharpened instantly at the opening. "I'll give you the card personally," I countered coldly. "Come and collect it yourself."
A harsh laugh crackled through the distorted line. "Trying to lure me out, Anastasia? Hah. I'm not stupid. I know you're setting a trap so your precious authorities can catch me. Save your effort. You won't find me." His voice lowered dangerously. "Just stay away from Elliot if you know what's good for you."
Then the line went dead.
